Peter Handscomb
Peter Stephen Patrick Handscomb (26 April 1991) is an Australian cricketer contracted domestically to Victoria and the Melbourne Stars. Handscomb is in the current squad for both the Test and One Day Internationals for Australia. He is a middle order batsman and occasional wicket-keeper. He has kept wicket for the national team when regular wicket keeper Matthew Wade has not been available. Early life and junior career He had also been a talented junior tennis player, but eventually chose to pursue cricket. He played for Victoria at both under-17 and under-19 level, and went on to play for the Australian under-19 cricket team during the Sri Lankan under-19 team's tour of Australia in October 2009. Domestic career Having spent the 2011 season playing English club cricket for Tring Park, as well as several matches for Leicestershire in the Second XI Championship. Handscomb debuted for Victoria during the 2011–12 Australian season, playing as a top-order batsman. He scored 42 and 71 runs, respectively, in his first List A and first-class innings, both in matches against Queensland at the Gabba. Handscomb's first century in Sheffield Shield matches came against South Australia in February 2012, an innings of 113 runs at the Adelaide Oval. Towards the end of the season, he was also used as Victoria's wicket-keeper, with both Matthew Wade and Ryan Carters unavailable. Handscomb was awarded Cricket Victoria contracts for both Victoria and the Melbourne Stars for the 2012–13 season. In Victorian Premier Cricket, he plays for the St Kilda Cricket Club, and led the club's batting averages during the 2011–12 season. Handscomb also holds British citizenship, with both of his parents English immigrants to Australia. Handscomb's break-through first class season occurred for Victoria in 2014–15, when he scored three centuries and averaged 53.91. He played county cricket for Gloucestershire during 2015, and began touring with Australia A, becoming captain of the team in early 2016. International career In November 2016, immediately after his maiden first-class double century against New South Wales and amidst the backdrop of Australia's disastrous home series loss against South Africa and the retirement of chairman of selectors Rod Marsh, Handscomb was one of several players brought into Australia's Test team ahead of the dead rubber third Test against South Africa. He made his Test debut on 24 November 2016, and was presented his baggy green cap by Chris Rogers. Batting at number five, Handscomb made an impressive start to his Test career, scoring 399 runs at an average of 99.75 across the remaining four home Tests of the summer: one against South Africa and three against Pakistan. He scored his maiden Test hundred (105) in the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba, in a 172-run partnership with skipper Steve Smith, and followed it with 110 in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Peter Handscomb became the first batsman in history to score his maiden test century in a Day Night test match. With half-centuries in the other two matches, Handscomb became the second Australian Test cricketer to score a half century in each of his first four Tests, and was not dismissed for less than fifty in any innings. He made his One Day Internationals (ODI) debut in Perth on 19 January 2017 against Pakistan, and was presented his ODI cap by Adam Gilchrist. In his debut innings, Handscomb was caught behind for 0, but it was shown that the bowler, Junaid Khan had bowled a no-ball. He went on to score 82 in Australia's successful chase of 264 against Pakistan, the third highest debut score by an Australian in an ODI. On 30 January 2017, Handscomb deputised for Matthew Wade as wicketkeeper against New Zealand. In April 2018, he was awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia for the 2018–19 season. Playing style Handscomb is a very capable and versatile fielder, having fielded around the slip cordon, short leg, point and also at wicketkeeper. As a batsman, Handscomb is known to play majority of his shots off the back foot, and play very deep into his crease, dangerously close to the stumps. While the intention is to get more time to react to the ball, adding his tendency to also change his guard (where he stands horizontally along the batting crease) makes him struggle against pace bowlers with sideways movements (inswing and off cutters from right-handers). External links * Category:1991 births Category:Australian cricketers Category:Australia Test cricketers Category:Australia One Day International cricketers Category:Living people Category:Cricketers